TY - JOUR
T1 - Microbial community dynamics and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in polluted marine sediments in Hong Kong
AU - Wang, Y. F.
AU - Tam, N. F.Y.
N1 - Funding Information:
The work described in this paper was supported by the Areas of Excellence Scheme, established under the University Grants Committee of the Hong Kong SAR, China (Project No. AoE/P-04/2004 ).
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Dynamics of microbial community and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in polluted marine sediments, artificially spiked with a mixture of PAHs (fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene), were examined for a period of 60. days. Microbial communities were characterised by bacterial counts, ester-linked fatty acid methyl ester (EL-FAME) analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A noted reduction in species diversity occurred only in the high PAH level treatment at onset. Both EL-FAME and DGGE demonstrated a marked shift in microbial community, in all the PAH level treatments, afterwards, with increases in the number of fatty acid degraders, the relative abundance of fatty acid biomarkers for gram-negative bacteria and a decrease in species diversity. The shift was also accompanied by the significant decrease in PAH concentrations. By the end of the experiment, diversity indices, based on both approaches, recovered when PAH concentrations declined to their background levels, except in the high PAH level treatment.
AB - Dynamics of microbial community and biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in polluted marine sediments, artificially spiked with a mixture of PAHs (fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene), were examined for a period of 60. days. Microbial communities were characterised by bacterial counts, ester-linked fatty acid methyl ester (EL-FAME) analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A noted reduction in species diversity occurred only in the high PAH level treatment at onset. Both EL-FAME and DGGE demonstrated a marked shift in microbial community, in all the PAH level treatments, afterwards, with increases in the number of fatty acid degraders, the relative abundance of fatty acid biomarkers for gram-negative bacteria and a decrease in species diversity. The shift was also accompanied by the significant decrease in PAH concentrations. By the end of the experiment, diversity indices, based on both approaches, recovered when PAH concentrations declined to their background levels, except in the high PAH level treatment.
KW - Biomarkers
KW - DGGE
KW - EL-FAME
KW - Microbial community
KW - PAH degradation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960379901&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.04.046
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.04.046
M3 - Article
C2 - 21620420
AN - SCOPUS:79960379901
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 63
SP - 424
EP - 430
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin
IS - 5-12
ER -